Art of knitting reinforced fabrics



R. W. SCOTT.

ART OF KNITTING REINFORCED FABR|CS.,

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I1. 1916.

1,373,769. Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET Inventor,

R. W. SCOTT.

ART OF KNITTING REINFORCED FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1|, 1916. 1,373,769 Patented Apr. 5, 1921..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Imv'e min 7,

WA M

ROBERT W. SCOTT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO SCOTT & WILLIAMS, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

ART OF KNITTING REINFORCED FABRICS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

Application filed September 11, 1916. Serial No. 119,331.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT WV. Soorr, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Art ofKnitting Reinforced Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the art of knitting sectionally spliced orreinforced fabrics with definite margins and either without projectingyarn-ends, or without such ends of undue length, on a series ofinstruments such as ordinary knitting machine needles.

Fabrics of this general nature have heretofore been produced only byreciprocatory knitting, in which case the traverse of the splicing yarnis limited to the width of a series of needles defining the splicedarea, and the margins of the spliced area are characterized by reversalsof the splicing yarn. When the knitting is tubular or circulatory, thespliced area has heretofore been defined by entering and withdrawing asplicing yarn from contact with the needles of the desired series duringprogress of the knitting, or by causing a different movement of'theseneedles only to enable them to take the yarn; or by clamping thesplicing yarn to break it, and releasing the broken end in contact withthe body yarn, to cause it again to run in. In any of these cases thelateral margins of the spliced area are defined by the places ofentrance and withdrawal of the splicing yarn, or by the irregularlyplaced beginning and end of the clamped and broken yarn. At one or theother or both of these margins the splicing yarn, when entered andremoved from the needles, necessarily is cut or broken at a. place moreor less removed from the surface of the fabric, leaving an unsightlyyarn-end of greater or less extent. Such entrance or removal of the yarnas a machine function necessarily involves the accurate timing of themotion of either the splicing yarn or the needles or both, at entranceand removal of the splicing yarn. Such timing has seldom been secured ofsuch accuracy as infallibly to enter or remove the splicing yarn at thepassage of the same needles for course after course, and when securedhas necessitated mechanisms diflicult to adjust and maintain in adjust-ment in the hands of unskilled operators. When entry has been byfriction of the body yarn and removal by clamping or severing therunning yarn, the margins of the spliced area have been irregular anduncertain.

When the splicing yarn is removed from a tubular knit fabric at themargin of a relnforced area by any of the prior methods of forming suchareas, the relative travel of the needles in respect of the severingmeans has heretofore determined that it shall be severed from the fabricat a point distant from the fabric by at least the dimensions of thesevering implement and a safe'distance between it and the fabric; and inthe case of the best practice, the severed supplyend has been held orclamped for reinsert1on at a point short of the severed end at the leastby the dimensions of the clamping instrument.

An alternative and usual practice has been tofloat a run of splicingyarnfrom exit point to entrance point, and thereafter to cut away thisfloat, still leaving ends pro jecting from the fabric, and thus causingas an additional defect a serious waste of the floated length of yarn.

The present invention has for its general object to avoid the defectiveresults above mentioned and thereby to provide for reinforcing apredetermined area of fabric having definite margins at any desiredlongitudinal wales of the fabric, to provide at both the leading andfollowing margin an edge of the reinforced area wholly free fromprojecting ends of yarn, or from such ends of any substantial ordetrimental length; and to so conduct this operation as to use all andwaste none of the splicing yarn.

Another object is to provide a method of predetermining with exactnessthe lateral extent of a run of introduced yarn, and to provide a methodfor beginning and cessation of feeding such a yarn adapted to bepractised by machine instruments of the ordinary kind.

In pursuance of the above objects, apparatus not herein claimed forpractising my new method involving a new principle of operation may beemployed to practice the method, for instance mechanism shown in mydivisional application S. No. 177,702, filed June 29, 1917. By creatinga knitting wave in a series of knitting instruments and then feeding amain yarn and a splicing yarn at different angles of advance, so thatbetween a selected pair of needles lying between a knitting wave and thepoint of exit from the yarn guiding means for the respective yarns,there is provided a separation between the knitting yarn and thesplicing yarn enabling the splicing yarn to be (1) severed in place onthe needles to end its insertion, and (2) seized in respect to theneedles to begin its insertion. When the yarn is severed, in this mannerthe cut-off end of the yarn then runs in a channel determined by theneedle hooks, and the'closed needle latches, if the machine is alatchneedle machine. This end of yarn, now relatively stationary with respectto the running needles, stays in the channel so formed until thesplicing yarn is again to accompany the knitting yarn when it is seizedin respect to the needles by a device traveling with the needlesoperating as in the case of the cutting device between the knittingpoint proper and the yarn guides or fingers. The instruments both forcutting and for clamping the yarn in-relation to the needles to againbegin feeding it may be formed as a part of the usual web-holders, thevertical separation of the yarns enabling a sharpened upper edge on onesevering webholder (which is given an abnormally early movement ofinsertion) to take against and cut the splicing yarn between needlewales predetermined by the position of this webholder in relation to theneedles making said wales, and another web-holder at the beginning ofthe splicing area adapted to seize or aid in seizing the end of yarn, asby having a splicing-yarn seizing notch therein, so that at anabnormally early projection of this seizing web-holder, the trailing endof the splicing yarn is grasped, the next following needle inevitablytaking this end of the splicing yarn into the knitting wave proper.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a knitting machine embodyingdevices adapted to practice my said method; 7

Fig. 2 is an under plan view of a webholder cam cap forming a part ofsaid machine;

Figs. 3, e, 5 and 6 are diagram internal developments of a series ofneedles employed in the said machine, illustrating the operation ofcertain instruments below to be described;

Figs. 7 and 8 are sections on the line 77 of Fig. 2 respectively showingthe passage of instruments at the leading and at the following edges ofthe spliced area.

Fig. 9 is an end view of a modification of a arn seizing web'holder;

Jigs. 10 and 11 are diagrams illustrating the knitting of spliced andunspliced portions in the same course; and

Fig. 12 is an elevation of a further modification of the yarn-seizingweb-holder.

Referring now to Figs. 10 and 11, the rotary needle cylinder circularmachine selected for illustration is adapted to knit a tubular fabric bycircular knitting on a series of needles rotating in the direction ofthe arrows a in said figures, and the method and apparatus will bedescribed in connection with the production of fabric having areinforced area A and a plain or body fabric area B, extending for aplurality of courses in the direction of the length of the fabric, uponsuch a machine. \Vhile the area A may be at any desired part, orseparated parts, of the circumference of the tube, an illustrativeinstance of one area only is shown occupying about half of the tube. Butit will be understood that the method described and the new instrumentsemployed are adapted for use without change in straight and other typesof machines making fabrics of various kinds, or in circular machines inwhich the yarn feed devices and cam carrier rotate with respect to arelatively fixed needle carrier.

Referring to Fig. 1, the needles 72 of any desired sort shown as latchneedles, may be suitably mounted in a needle carrier 2G0 and actuated bythe usual knitting cams (not shown) on a cam carrier 270 in the usualmanner to produce a length of fabric or a knit article such as astocking.

Cotiperating with the needles a and held to slide in the radiallygrooved bed 295 the usual web-holders w are provided to perform theircustomary function. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 a web-holder cam cap300, held relatively stationary with respect to the rotating needles andweb-holders, comprises a withdrawing cam 306 and adjustable advancingcams 309, 309 acting upon butts w of the web-holders w to move them outand in with respect to the retracting and advancing needles. The normalwave caused by cams 306 and 309 when the machine is employed in circularknitting. relative travel of the web-holder butts being in the directionof the arrow Z), Fig. 2, is illustrated by the broken line W, Fig. 2.

The lowest draft of the needles actuated to knit by the active stitchcam takes place in relation to the wave of movement in the web-holdersabout at the point illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 to 6.

As now usual in such machines, any desired series of the web-holders wmay be arranged to be moved in at an earlier time than the normal, topredetermine a longer stitch, a movable cam 312 being provided on cap300 to engage extra long butts (not shown) of some of the web-holdersfor that purpose. When this cam is inwardly positioned (for instance, bythe means fully shown in my Letters Patent No. 1,152,850, datedSeptember 7, 1915, for this purpose), the longer web-holders move inwardon the line V, Fig. 2, at an earlier time than the normal determine thelower operative position,'

under stress of spring 8, of a series of yarn feed fingers F pivoted at554. One of these,

as that finger F nearest the observer in.

Fig. 1 and at the left in Figs. 3 to 6, carries a splicing'yarn s, thefinger F having a foot 2 adapted to stand on the throat-plate f andclamp the yarn s between said plate and the foot 2.

Another one of the fingers F as usual carries the main or body yarn y.The yarn y and yarn s are by the above (or any preferred) means fed tothe needles at a different lead or angle of advance, splicing yarn 3being fed from a point nearer the knitting point )lc than the body yarny (see Figs. 3 t0 6 The yarn fingers or guides F, F may be lifted attimes to inoperative positions by the operation of suitable automaticmeans, such as one of the thrust bars 460 resting at their lower ends ona pattern surface or drum 120 having cams for lifting the bars 160 andguides F, F to an upper inoperative position as shown. at 5, Fig. 1, andwhen any of the guides is so positioned its yarn, thereby removed fromthe fabric, is carried into a suitable severing device and clamp, suchas the guide 604, clamp 602, and shears 608 operated by the lever 611and a thrust bar 460 from' the pattern surface, which parts may beconstructed and operate as shown in my said Patent No. 1,152,850.

Means are provided for clamping and releasing the splicing yarn 8 whileits movable guide remains in an operative position. Thrust bar 160 forthe splicing yarn finger F, for instance, may be provided with a lug d,which when the pattern drum 120 permits the bar460 to rest, as shown, ina lower position normally clamping the splicing yarn s against the platef, lies in the plane of a cam 296 attached to and rotating with theweb-holder bed 295. This cam may be constructed substantially as shownin Fig. 29 of my said Patent No. 1,152,850, with adjustable ends,whereby accurately and adjustalily to determine with respect to theseries of needles a the position at which the lug 65 will be moved bythe cam 296. When the lug (Z is so moved, bar 460 rocks on theadjustable stop 6 resting on comb 151, and near the end of its movementaway from the center of the cylinder 260 encounters a cam surface it onthe guide F thereby lifting the foot 2 slightly above the plate f torelease the yarn 8.

If desired, any suitable or known device operating on the yarn s toslacken it when it is not being fed may be employed between the sourceof supply and the clamp 2, f.

The splicing yarn may be originally entered upon the needles in anyordinary or usual manner, for instance by moving the splicing yarnfinger F from the position shown at 5, the splicing yarn then being heldin the clamp 602, down to the operative position shown in Fig. 1, thismovement being occasioned by pattern surface 120 and occurring when thecam 296 is positioned to hold the foot 2 away from the plate 5 to permitthe splicing yarn to be entered and to pass into the knitting wave asusual. At this initial entrance of the splicing yarn a single projectingend of-yarn 8 representing the yarn extending to the clamp 602 is lefton the inside of the fabric.

At predetermined places among the needles, instead of one of theweb-holders w, one or more severing web-holders X each having aweb-holder notch w a beak w and a sharpened upper surface 10 is placedin a groove in the bed 295 between two of the needles (Figs. 3 to 6, and8). Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, this severing web-holder is adapted tobe operated for the ordinary web-holder functions with respect to theyarn y, but by reason of the difference in lead between the yarn and theyarn a the beak w is adapted to take between splicing yarn entering theneedles and the body yarn 3/ entering the needles upon giving thesevering web-holder an inward movement at .an earlier time than thenormal inward movement of the web-holders. The action of the needlesthereafter serves to draw against its upper sharpened surface e0 thatportion of the yarn 8 taken between two adjacent needles. The result isto sever the splicing yarn between two predetermined needle wales, asillustrated in Fig. 4, the leading severed end 3 being immediately boundinto the knit stitch beginning to be formed when the severing operationtakes place. For clearness, Figs. 3 to 6 do not show the previously knitcourses.

The following severed portion 8 is left free in the book of the leadingneedle n of those needles upon which reinforced fabric is not to beformed. The severing action may be and preferably is aided by permittingthe yarn guide F to clamp the splicing yarn by means of its foot 2 atthis time, the lug (Z then running off the adjustable rear end of theearn 296. In some cases, however, a suitable tension on the yarn 8 maybe employed, the devices for clamping and slackening the yarn 8 beingdispensed with.

The end .9 of the yarn 8 having been cut by the described means at apredetermined place with respect to the yarn guide F, and the end of theyarn 8 being clamped, the said end 8 then lies in the hooks of theneedles or, and in a vertually tubular passage defined by the closedlatches of the needles traveling down the knitting-wave and the nearbyhooks of the web-holders w. No ordinary movement of the machine canwithdraw the yarn end 5 so positioned, further relative movement of theneedles with respect to the guide F occurring without changing theposition of the end 8 (Figs. 4 and 11) which remains in contact with theneedles during the knitting of the yarn y alone for the remainder, orany desired part of the remainder, of the course.

To enable the yarn 8 again to be fed beginning at a predetermined needlewithout any appreciable projecting end, the machine is also providedwith a seizing web-holder Y, best shown in Fig. 7, at the leading edgeof each area A. This instrument has a yarn throat w functioning as anordinary webholder, and a beak 10 preferably somewhat higher than thecorresponding beak w of the severing web-holder, and a second beak 'wseparated by a notch '10 between the beaks and at a height to take overthe end 5 of the yarn s lying in the described relation to the needles.If the seizing webholder Y is now given an inward movement at an earliertime than the normal webholders, the end 8 of the splicing yarn taken inthe notch of the seizing instrument will be bent around the leadingneedle n of that series upon which reinforced fabric is to be knit, andso determine the entrance of the splicing yarn and the margin of thespliced area A at the wale from this predetermined needle n This actionmay be aided by causing the needle n and the se1zing web-holder Y toclamp the end 8 of the yarn s between them. One way of doing this isillustrated in Fig. 5, the needle n being bent to the left as shown, torub against one face of the seizing web-holder Y. Alternatively asillustrated in Fig. 9, the web-holder may be laterally offset to therear with respect to the direction of motion of the needles as shown, soas to rub against and clamp the yarn with respect to a straight leadingneedle M; or a comparatively thick seizing web-holder Y may be employedbetween normal needles.

As shown in Fig. 12, a modified form of seizing web-holder Y maybeemployed having a notch 10 on its relatively high top 12, and a beak 14at the same height as the beak 10 of the, form above described. Seizingweb-holder Y is adapted to be moved forward a shorter distance than theweb-holder Y, the downward movement of the needle 11 taking the yarn-end8 against its side face, with the same effect as above described.

Referring now to Figs. 10 and 11, the relative location of the knittingwave is and the yarn guides F and F being as shown, the place ofactuation of the severing webholder X may be at the point C, and theplace of operation of the seizing web-holdcr Y may be at the point H,both lying between the knitting point is and the respective yarn guides.

Inasmuch as both the seizing web-holder and the severing web-holdertravel with the needles, clamping of the yarn end a" with respect to theneedle n insures entrance of the splicing yarn at the wale from thisneedle, and the manner of performing the operation insures a minimumlength of the end 8 with respect to the surface of the fabric. Inpractice, this end may be so short as to be buried in the ensuing stitchtaken on the needle 11 The length of this end is determined by therelative position of the points C and H, or by the relative time ofopening of clamp 2, f, or by both.

Whenever the seizing web-holder Y is operated the splicing yarn may bereleased by the operation of thrust bar T60 and cam 296 to open clamp 2,The relative times of releasing the yarn 8' and actuating the seizingweb-holder Y are accurately related by rotation together of the parts Yand 296 as attachments of the bed 295.

At the longitudinal end of the spliced area, the yarn guide F is movedto the position shown at 5 by the action of the cam surface 120 on itsthrust bar, and the yarn .s is received by the guide 604-, clamped at602 and cut at 608 until it is desired again to splice a part of thetube, when the operation is repeated.

Any desired means may be employed for giving the described movements tothe seizing web-holder and the severing web-holder, but I prefer themeans shown in F i gs. 2, 7 and 8, comprising tails m and 1 at differentvertical positions on the respective severing web-holder X and seizingweb-holder Y, and suitably positioned cams 25 and 26 re spectivelyoperating the severing and scizing devices. As shown, these cams may bemounted on any suitable part such as the web-holder cap 300, andpreferably are arranged for independent adjustment radially andeircumferentially. For instance, a cir-' cumferential upturned portion27, 28 of each cam may be slotted for a common holding screw 29, therespective parts being spaced from each other and the cam cap by washers30, the part 28 of cam 26 having a screw 31 for independently clampingit, and a screw 33 in the cam cap free in slots 34; of different widthsin parts 27, 28, for radially adjusting part 28 and cam 26 only. Cam 25may be independently radially adjusted by a large headed screw 31 in theslots 34-, the mounting parts 27, 28 of both cams being slightlyresilient. When the cams are adjusted, the beaks of the severing andseizing web-holders move inwardly under the ducing and severing thesplicing yarn are independent of the particular mechanisms by .whichthey are carried out. It is obvious,

for instance, that I have herein disclosed an order of operationsrelating to the distribution of and interknitting of yarns to produee,by virtue of the new principle involved, a new result. It is obviousthat the steps of progressive supply or feeding of a body and anadditionalor splicing yarn at different angles of advance or lead, andthe inserting between these yarns, at the instruments upon which theknitting is to be performed first a severing implement to end theinclusion in the fabric of one of these yarns; and thereafter workingupon the severed end temporarily to attach it to one of the knittinginstruments, constitute a method wholly independent of the particularmeans or any organized mechanism for practising the same. It is, forinstance, obvious that the difference in lead or angle of advance of thebody and splicing yarns might be secured by feeding the yarns from thesame vertical plane but at different heights, with-- out altering therelation of yarns by which a severing implement, whether or not thatdescribed and shown, and whether hand or machine operated, can beintroduced between predetermined wales to sever the splicing yarn onlyin such a manner as to bind the severed end into the stitch. Likewisethe steps taken in introducing the leading end of the splicing yarn,involving temporary attachment of this end to the hook, needle, or otherknitting implement, are generic steps which might and obviously can bepractised by hand or by a variety of machine devices; and I am not to beunderstood by having described certain preferred machine devices therebyto imply any necessity for use of such instruments or their equivalentsfor the successful practice of the art or method hereinafter claimed, orto limit my inven-' tion to the mere function of the apparatus claimed.

What I claim is:

1. The art of knitting fabrics having areas reinforced by forming partsof courses containing a splicing yarn and a body yarn interknit togethercomprising as a step severing the splicing yarn between adj acent placesfor new loops in predetermined wales of the fabric during formation ofsaid loops and of the fabric.

2. The art of knitting fabrics having areas reinforced by forming partsof courses containing a splicing yarn and a body yarn interknit togethercomprising as a step severing the splicing yarn between the place of itsengagement in the forming loop of a predetermined wale of the fabric andthe place to be occupied by the next successive loop in another Waleduring formation of the fabric, and thereafter repeating said severingoperation in successive courses between the same wales.

3. The art of knitting fabrics having areas reinforced by forming partsof courses containing a splicing yarn and a body yarn interknit togethercomprising as a step severing the splicing yarn in the plane of thefabric between predetermined wales of the fabric during formation of thefabric, and thereafter introducing the severed end at another wale inthe same course.

4c. The art of knitting fabrics having areas reinforced by forming partsof courses containing a splicing yarn and a body yarn interknit togethercomprising as a step severing the splicing yarn between adjacent placesfor new loops in predetermined wales of the fabric during formation ofthe fabric, thereafter removing the severed end to another place in thefabric, and there interknitting it with the body yarn.

5. The art of knitting fabrics having areas reinforced by forming partsof courses containing a splicing yarn and a body yarn interknit togethercomprising as a step severing the splicing yarn between unfinished andforming loops in predetermined wales of the fabric during formation ofthe fabric, thereafter removing the severed end to another predeterminedwale in the fabric, and then interknitting it with the body yarn in apredetermined number of wales.

6. The art of knitting fabrics having reinforced areas on a series ofinstruments including the steps laying a body yarn and a splicing yarnupon said instruments and knitting said yarns together at a series ofsaid instruments; and severing the splicing yarn only betweeninstruments at which knitting is subsequently effected.

7. The art of knitting fabrics having reinforced areas on a series ofinstruments including the steps repeatedly laying a body .yarn and asplicing yarn upon the same predetermined part of said series ofinstruments and knitting said yarns together at a series of saidinstruments; and thereafter severing the splicing yarn only betweeninstruments at which knitting is subsequently effected and at one end ofsaid part of the series of instruments.

8. The art of knitting fabrics having sectional reinforced areas on aseries of instruments comprising laying a body yarn on said instrumentsand repeatedly laying on and severing at one margin of the same partonly of said series of instruments 2. length of splicing yarn, both endsof the yarn being laid upon and in relation to particular instruments ofthe series whereby accurately to determine the length of and theposition of the severed length.

9. The art of knitting fabrics having sectional reinforced areas on aseries of instruments comprising laying a body yarn on said instrumentsand laying on the same part only of said series of instruments ameasured and severed length of splicing yarn, the distance between thesevered ends being measured by and the same as the space between certaininstruments of the series.

10. The art of knitting spliced fabrics comprising feeding to a seriesof knitting instruments at different angles a body and a splicing yarn,then severing at and upon the instruments the splicing yarn, maintainingthe severed supply-end of the splicing yarn in contact with theinstruments,

and thereafter seizing the said supply-end in respect to a particularone of said instruments to begin its reintroduction to the fabri'cformed at the wale knit at said instru ment.

11. The art of knitting spliced fabrics comprising feeding to a seriesof knitting instruments at different angles a body and a splicing yarn,then clamping between instruments and source of supply and severing atand upon the instruments the splicing yarn, maintaining the severedsupply-end of the splicing yarn in contact with the instruments, andthereafter seizing the said supply-end in respect to an instrument ofsaid series and releasing the splicing yarn to begin its reintroductionto the fabric formed at the wale knit at said instrument.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this eighth day of September,1916.

ROBERT TV. SCOTT.

